Recipes / Food - Drink

[Iridal]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I made an interesting dinner last night... just a salad and sort of a quiche, but...

The salad was just cherry tomatoes halved, cucumber, and spring onion, all cut up to the same size but the dressing was a bit unusual. My basil plants were getting ready to take over the veranda so I cut them all back. This gave me a LOT of basil! I stuffed all the leaves into a Blender (I really packed it full!) added about a cup of good extra virgin olive oil, a couple of cloves of garlic, a few tablespoons of vinegar and the juice of one lemon. Pushed the button and let it run! A bit of salt and pepper mixed in, and poured over the veggies. Delish!

The quiche was 10 eggs, a package of Feta cheese, a package of Mozzarella cheese, a handful of black olives, and two packages of spinach, wilted in a deep frying pan with a bit of olive oil, and mixed in with the egg mix. A little fresh rosemary and a large amount of fresh oregano for seasoning. A bit a butter back into the frying pan and poured everything in, set over a low flame covered for about 20-25 minutes... Salt and pepper after cooking, and it was a mini-feast!


Stitchawl

10 eggs?!? For 2 people?!? I have trouble eating 2 whole eggs, and that's without anything extra on the side ...

I always thought quiche is a dish in which you use some kind of dough. An oven dish. What you descibred sounds more like an omelet. Or maybe a tortilla. But that pesto really sounds delicious

[beppe]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I was trying NOT to make it taste like pesto. I deliberately left out pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. I wanted the basil flavor and aroma, but not a pesto taste. It worked, very well. At first I didn't add the lemon juice and it was just wrong!! All the flavors were fighting each other. I added the juice and everything seemed to come together!



I cut up the leaves. I thought that with eggs being so bland, it would need something to give it some 'punch!' I debated between oregano and thyme, and only chose the oregano because it too needed cutting!


Stitchawl

Thank you, very clear. In Flemish land, to give a punch to the eggs, they use bacon crumbs. That would go well with the spinach, or dried mushrooms, or both. Lately I have been using dry tomatoes and dry sweet peppers, cut in small pieces.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Iridal

10 eggs?!? For 2 people?!? I have trouble eating 2 whole eggs, and that's without anything extra on the side ...

They really were small eggs... I guess they would be called "Medium" size. I picked them up by mistake. I usually buy Extra Large. And in truth, we didn't finish the dish. There was about 1/3 left over.

I always thought quiche is a dish in which you use some kind of dough. An oven dish. What you descibred sounds more like an omelet. Or maybe a tortilla.

True on all counts... I call it 'Fusion Cooking.' And I did say 'sort of' a quiche!
A. I was too lazy to make a dough
B. I was too lazy to use the oven as I'd have to dirty another pan
C. Basically, it was a quiche without the dough and the oven.

I think to qualify as an 'omelet,' shouldn't the ingredients should be somewhat wrapped up in the egg rather than mixed throughout the egg? I don't know... I'm not usually an egg cooker.

But that pesto really sounds delicious

It was. Very different taste than a Pesto Genovise but most definitely a basil bonanza! I wonder what the correct definition of 'pesto' is? I've seen recipes for it that didn't use any basil at all, only cilantro and parsley, along with pine nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic.


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by beppe

Thank you, very clear. In Flemish land, to give a punch to the eggs, they use bacon crumbs. That would go well with the spinach, or dried mushrooms, or both. Lately I have been using dry tomatoes and dry sweet peppers, cut in small pieces.

I had thought of bacon. Well, actually of Pancetta. I have a small block of it in my fridge and did think about using it. But I decided that would have been TOO strong a flavor to add. I do have a package of Porcini mushrooms on the shelves, but I didn't think of it! That would have been a good addition!


Stitchawl

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I made an interesting dinner last night... just a salad and sort of a quiche, but...

Stitchawl

Excellent, Stitchy. You are welcome to experiment in our kitchen any time you like.

Taverna salad is something we make similar to what you did. Diced tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, with garlic, lemon juice, and a little olive oil and sometimes vinegar. Spices and herbs vary with each preparation although I don't think we've ever tried basil. We stole the idea from Murphy's Deli (a chain). Rosemary, spinach, and eggs sounds like a wonderful combination.

EDIT: Oops. Forgot the two most important ingredients to Taverna salad: feta cheese and a buzillion (or maybe just a few) kalamata olives.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Mmmmm pancetta. We had roasted tomato and pancetta over pasta last night. Mmmmm.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Mmmmm pancetta. We had roasted tomato and pancetta over pasta last night. Mmmmm.

I think that may just be dinner for tomorrow night. Seems to me to need more than just pancetta and tomato... Olive oil, garlic, thyme or oregano, of course, but it just seems that there is something major missing from the mix... What could it be?


Stitchawl

[beppe]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I think that may just be dinner for tomorrow night. Seems to me to need more than just pancetta and tomato... Olive oil, garlic, thyme or oregano, of course, but it just seems that there is something major missing from the mix... What could it be?


Stitchawl

with a hot pepper it becomes an Amatriciana (some sage also)
with capers, black olives and a hot pepper you have an alla Putannesca. The capers are the one under salt. Do not use the vinegar ones.

On both you grate a sharp sheep cheese.

No origano, it gives a taste of Pizza that with the pasta is misleading (IMMO)

[beppe]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

It was. Very different taste than a Pesto Genovise but most definitely a basil bonanza! I wonder what the correct definition of 'pesto' is?
Stitchawl

You know Stichawl. With recipes is not so much a question of correct or not, but of what one likes or has it available.

In any case, I know what the traditional Pesto alla Genovese is, and how it is prepared. Because we all love it here, and the people of Genova are particular about it. It is also the best, in my modest opinion.

Outside of Genova and whereabouts it is impossible to make it like they do. The reason is the basil. They cultivate it on purpose, with very tiny leaves. There you see huge green houses with a pale, bright green carpet of their baby basil. Our basil, on our window still or in the garden has large leaves. It often takes a slightly minty flavor that has nothing to do with their basil, and that alters the flavor. That is why I buy it fresh in the supermarket, where I find it. It is in practical plastic containers and it keeps for few days in the fridge. They have it with garlic and without it. They do not put the cheeses in it. That is up to me.

They do it in a stone mortar. They start with the leafs and a pinch of gros sel. The salt helps in mashing the leaves. They do not pound the leafs, but mash them against the curved walls of the mortar with their big pestle. They rotate it, sort of. You see these old women sitting outside the door in the little streets of Genova making it, very deft and effective. Nothing escapes their eyes, while the exchange pearls of wisdom and juicy gossips. Even now. When it is done, they put the pine nuts and the garlic, mesh those also, the oil and half parmisan and half sharp sheep cheese. Not everybody uses garlic, not everybody uses the nuts. You know there is always somebody who does not like this or does not like that, even in the best families.

[MJK2111]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

C. Basically, it was a quiche without the dough and the oven.

Methinks you made a frittata...

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by MJK2111

Methinks you made a frittata...

Methinks, two. Or maybe just yum.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I think that may just be dinner for tomorrow night. Seems to me to need more than just pancetta and tomato... Olive oil, garlic, thyme or oregano, of course, but it just seems that there is something major missing from the mix... What could it be?


Stitchawl

Love. Every good recipe has it. My recipe is fairly simple. slice some roma tomatoes in half length-wise in a bowl, roll up the pancetta and slice cross-wise add to the tomatos, slice some onions and add to the bowl, drizzle with olive oil, mix in some minced or crushed, or even just finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste, mix it up and throw it in an oven proof pan at 400F for 35 minutes. Serve over pasta with some fresh grated parmesan, maybe a slice of garlic toast, and a nice glass of wine.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Love. Every good recipe has it. My recipe is fairly simple. slice some roma tomatoes in half length-wise in a bowl, roll up the pancetta and slice cross-wise add to the tomatos, slice some onions and add to the bowl, drizzle with olive oil, mix in some minced or crushed, or even just finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste, mix it up and throw it in an oven proof pan at 400F for 35 minutes. Serve over pasta with some fresh grated parmesan, maybe a slice of garlic toast, and a nice glass of wine.

And a red and white checkered table cloth.

[beppe]

In summer, when the weather is hot, some time we have pasta (al dente) with raw ripe cherry tomatoes split in two or four, diced buffalo mozzarella (the fresh one, if it is not possible, forget it or just use what you have and that's it) and basil leafs teared by hand. There is no real need for oil or butter, as the juice of the tomatoes makes the pasta slippery by itself. Of course with the fat it becomes even better. Spaghetti is the best for it. Speed is the secret. In putting it up, at least. But also in eating it. Very tasty.

My trick is to mix the spaghetti with the tomatoes, put them in the plates and add the cubes of cheese on top, after. So they do not melt too much and the pasta remains warmer. In some places they mix the tomatoes and the pasta in a pan over the fire. I think it is a cheap trick. I like mine better.

Why tearing the basil? If you cut it with a knife it darkens and looses some.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Summer is the time for FISH TACOS!!! With some fresh gaucamole to start and some red rice on the side.

I spy four ripe avocados in the kitchen.